Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.4
4.2
Journals
Molecules
Special Issues
Bioactive Compounds from Natural Products: Identification and Biological Activity
molecules-logo
Submit to Molecules Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Bioactive Compounds from Natural Products: Identification and Biological Activity

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 10203

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Glaucia Maria Pastore

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Food Science Department, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, UNICAMP Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
Interests: bioactive compounds and characterization; advanced analytical tools; noncommunicable diseases; nutrition; aging; functional ingredients; food analytical methods; epigenetic effects of bioactive compounds

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of interest in health-promoting products which are also natural and safe for consumption because the consumer market has been searching for a healthy lifestyle. This global market trend has driven the food industry to invest in the development of innovative products containing bioactive components, carotenoids and flavonoids/anthocyanin, and enhanced food properties. Several studies on food systems have proposed that these bioactive compounds are promising food ingredients that not only modify and improve the physicochemical and sensorial characteristics of food products but also improve human health and wellbeing.

Prof. Dr. Glaucia Maria Pastore
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food properties
  • bioactive components
  • innovative products
  • health and wellbeing
  • gut health
  • prebiotics

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 3864 KiB  
Article
Imperatorin Positively Regulates Melanogenesis through Signaling Pathways Involving PKA/CREB, ERK, AKT, and GSK3β/β-Catenin
by Taejin Kim and Chang-Gu Hyun
Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6512; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27196512 - 2 Oct 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2651
Abstract
The present study investigated the melanogenic effects of imperatorin and isoimperatorin and the underlying mechanisms of imperatorin using a mouse melanoma B16F10 model. Interestingly, treatment with 25 μM of either imperatorin or isoimperatorin, despite their structural differences, did not produce differences in melanin [...] Read more.
The present study investigated the melanogenic effects of imperatorin and isoimperatorin and the underlying mechanisms of imperatorin using a mouse melanoma B16F10 model. Interestingly, treatment with 25 μM of either imperatorin or isoimperatorin, despite their structural differences, did not produce differences in melanin content and intracellular tyrosinase activity. Imperatorin also activated the expression of melanogenic enzymes, such as tyrosinase (TYR) and tyrosinase-related proteins TYRP-1 and TYRP-2. Mechanistically, imperatorin increases melanin synthesis through the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKA)/cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB)-dependent upregulation of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), which is a key transcription factor in melanogenesis. Furthermore, imperatorin exerted melanogenic effects by downregulating extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and upregulating phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/glycogen synthesis kinase-3β (GSK-3β). Moreover, imperatorin increased the content of β-catenin in the cell cytoplasm and nucleus by reducing the content of phosphorylated β-catenin (p-β-catenin). Finally, we tested the potential of imperatorin in topical application through primary human skin irritation tests. These tests were performed on the normal skin (upper back) of 31 volunteers to determine whether 25 or 50 µM of imperatorin had irritation or sensitization potential. During these tests, imperatorin did not induce any adverse reactions. Taken together, these findings suggest that the regulation of melanogenesis by imperatorin can be mediated by signaling pathways involving PKA/CREB, ERK, AKT, and GSK3β/β-catenin and that imperatorin could prevent the pathogenesis of pigmentation diseases when used as a topical agent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds from Natural Products: Identification and Biological Activity)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

34 pages, 1473 KiB  
Review
An Updated Review on Prebiotics: Insights on Potentials of Food Seeds Waste as Source of Potential Prebiotics
by Gafar Babatunde Bamigbade, Athira Jayasree Subhash, Afaf Kamal-Eldin, Laura Nyström and Mutamed Ayyash
Molecules 2022, 27(18), 5947; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27185947 - 13 Sep 2022
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 7240
Abstract
Prebiotics are a group of biological nutrients that are capable of being degraded by microflora in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), primarily Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. When prebiotics are ingested, either as a food additive or as a supplement, the colonic microflora degrade them, producing [...] Read more.
Prebiotics are a group of biological nutrients that are capable of being degraded by microflora in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), primarily Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. When prebiotics are ingested, either as a food additive or as a supplement, the colonic microflora degrade them, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are simultaneously released in the colon and absorbed into the blood circulatory system. The two major groups of prebiotics that have been extensively studied in relation to human health are fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and galactooligosaccharides (GOS). The candidature of a compound to be regarded as a prebiotic is a function of how much of dietary fiber it contains. The seeds of fruits such as date palms have been reported to contain dietary fiber. An increasing awareness of the consumption of fruits and seeds as part of the daily diet, as well as poor storage systems for seeds, have generated an enormous amount of seed waste, which is traditionally discarded in landfills or incinerated. This cultural practice is hazardous to the environment because seed waste is rich in organic compounds that can produce hazardous gases. Therefore, this review discusses the potential use of seed wastes in prebiotic production, consequently reducing the environmental hazards posed by these wastes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds from Natural Products: Identification and Biological Activity)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop